The General Wrestling Thread

[FedEx227]

That's what I mean mostly. HHH is going to give you simplistic storytelling, in-ring and not comedy skits.

Also more promos in front of the crowd, that's one of my biggest pet peeves about Raw. Why have the guy cut a promo backstage? So the crowd can all sit and watch a big TV. Do that shit out in the ring, on the ramp, in the ring, whatever... let the crowd actually react and be involved in promos.

 

[Bigpapa42]

I don't believe they would completely get away from comedy stuff under Triple H... I mean, this is the guy who gave us so much toilet humor as part of DX. I do think it would probably be a bit funnier than most of the current "comedy" crap.

I honestly don't think every promo should take place in the ring. If its either a really simple promo or someone who maybe is still developing top-level promo skills, then the backstage interview is fine.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I think a format change is long overdue.

Maybe switch the promos from pre match to post match. Different camera angles. No more creepy/weird guys talking backstage, seemingly oblivious to the camera man. Bring back the old Mean Gene interview podium. Squash matches. Anything to mix it up.

At least make one show different. Samckdown is blue, Raw is red. Everything else is the same.

 

[Bigpapa42]

I think a format change is long overdue.

Maybe switch the promos from pre match to post match. Different camera angles. No more creepy/weird guys talking backstage, seemingly oblivious to the camera man. Bring back the old Mean Gene interview podium. Squash matches. Anything to mix it up.

At least make one show different. Samckdown is blue, Raw is red. Everything else is the same.

This is perhaps the single greatest failure of the brand extension era. Separate brands was truly an opportunity for the WWE, to appeal to a wide audience. To give the audience of each show something different. For a time, that was the case. Then it became, as you say, more of the same. The McMahon vision isn't diversity - its all the same.

Definitely agree that they need to freshen things up. The set hasn't changed in years and its the same for every show.

 

[FedEx227]

Tell me Miz doing the promo on the stage during the Retro Raw wasn't fucking awesome.

 

[Bigpapa42]

Tell me Miz doing the promo on the stage during the Retro Raw wasn't fucking awesome.

It was. And it basically reinforces my point - having guys who can cut strong promos and/or great a strong reaction do promos on the stage or in the ring works. You are maximizing the crowd reaction. But if its DH Smith and he's got a 2-minute promo, why bother? It takes him longer to get down the ring than the amount of time it would take to get his basic point across, he's not going to get a strong crowd reaction, and the fans aren't going to care that much. So that kind of promo, from a midcard guy that isn't going to get a huge reaction, I think having an in-ring promo is actually detrimental.

 

[FedEx227]

Simple solution, guys that can't talk either get managers that can talk or don't talk.

 

[Bigpapa42]

Simple solution, guys that can't talk either get managers that can talk or don't talk.

Would be nice, but that's not happening. Plus, it won't help if the fans don't care yet about the worker or the manager - no matter how good they are on the stick. A dead crowd because they just don't know the talent just looks bad. But give those relatively unknown workers or managers a few backstage interveiws where they can give the fans reason to cheer or boo and the reaction might be better.

Or you could them in the ring for the promo in front a crowd that doesn't care yet and will therefore break out the wonderful "WHAT?" chant.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

El Generico worked a tryout match for TNA tonight.

Selfishly, I hope they don't sign him. They won't "get" the gimmick, he'll get some retarded name, and he'll be lost in the shuffle.

Say, whatever happened to Nigel McGuinness? That guy was pretty good.

 

[EmpireWF]

El Generico worked a tryout match for TNA tonight.

Selfishly, I hope they don't sign him. They won't "get" the gimmick, he'll get some retarded name, and he'll be lost in the shuffle.

Say, whatever happened to Nigel McGuinness? That guy was pretty good.

too depressing to think about

Ironically, CM Punk has had a MUCH BETTER career thus far in WWE than anyone could have imagined.

Bourne was given the infamous start/stop pushes, so Punk is the only real indy king who's "made it" in either promotion.

Everyone else has had some sort of shit to deal with that's held them down (AJ Styles perhaps is the best TNA figure but he's too comically based, Nigel, Motor City Machine Guns, Joe, Bourne, Cabana, Daniels, Homicide, Low Ki, Aries, Strong, Lethal, London, Spanky).

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I would say Samoa Joe had a damn good run in TNA before they completely destroyed him. Now he's over 30, probably starting to hurt, and just doesnt give a fuck.

Christopher Daniels had a good run in TNA as well, even though he never had a sustained run on top.

Punk is on the cusp of being a mega star, and he somehow managed to keep his gimmick. Winner.

I think when all is said and done, Danielson will be a big success, if he chooses to wait it out. Right now, he is in the "we wont push him even if he's over because we have to prove a point" phase of his WWE career.

AJ Styles was never really an indy darling, he was TNA from day 1.

Tyler Black will never go anywhere with those shitty promos.

Davey might as well be a midget as far as WWE is concerned, he's way to short and unlike Bourne, doesnt have the underdog charisma, so he has no chance. He wouldnt survive being jobbed out because his whole deal is based on being a serious ass kicker.

The rest I could have told you wouldnt be big stars, for various reasons (size, mostly).

sidenote-Danielson has officially MADE IT:

 

[EmpireWF]

Can't remember the last figure I bought, but damn if I ever saw one of those in the store...I'd have to fight myself to keep the $10.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

I would say Samoa Joe had a damn good run in TNA before they completely destroyed him. Now he's over 30, probably starting to hurt, and just doesnt give a fuck.

Christopher Daniels had a good run in TNA as well, even though he never had a sustained run on top.

Punk is on the cusp of being a mega star, and he somehow managed to keep his gimmick. Winner.

I think when all is said and done, Danielson will be a big success, if he chooses to wait it out. Right now, he is in the "we wont push him even if he's over because we have to prove a point" phase of his WWE career.

AJ Styles was never really an indy darling, he was TNA from day 1.

Tyler Black will never go anywhere with those shitty promos.

Davey might as well be a midget as far as WWE is concerned, he's way to short and unlike Bourne, doesnt have the underdog charisma, so he has no chance. He wouldnt survive being jobbed out because his whole deal is based on being a serious ass kicker.

The rest I could have told you wouldnt be big stars, for various reasons (size, mostly).

sidenote-Danielson has officially MADE IT:

Most of those guys would be higher up the ladder than they are if TNA was anything more than terrible.

I don't watch TNA, but I have no idea what happened to Nigel Wolfe. He was bad ass when I was watching, then suddenly was dropped to the bottom of the card and was doing vignettes in a mall with his chick.

Joe had one nice run with TNA, then stopped giving a fuck. Now he is just fat, and sloppy in the ring, and and an uninteresting performer at this point.

 

[SHOGUN]

Desmond Wolfe had a shitty feud with Abyss over Chelsea, had a long ass losing streak, lost to Jay Lethal and got kicked out of Flair's posse, got squashed by Samoa Joe and seemingly disappeared. Later he reappeared on Explosion and formed a tag team with Magnus called London Brawling on Explosion, but before that got rolling he was apparently suffering from some concussion-like symptoms and TNA gave him some time off.

He was at the latest taping so he should be appearing on TV again really soon.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Desmond Wolfe had a shitty feud with Abyss over Chelsea, had a long ass losing streak, lost to Jay Lethal and got kicked out of Flair's posse, got squashed by Samoa Joe and seemingly disappeared. Later he reappeared on Explosion and formed a tag team with Magnus called London Brawling on Explosion, but before that got rolling he was apparently suffering from some concussion-like symptoms and TNA gave him some time off.

He was at the latest taping so he should be appearing on TV again really soon.

You know how when I write the Top 100 profiles, I usually end the story when the guy shows up in TNA?

See above.

 

[EmpireWF]

Court Bauer was on F4W Daily the other day (he was the MLW Promoter and a former writer in WWE) and told a great story about the origins of the horrible Punjabi Prison match. He said they were looking at some gimmick to make the Bash PPV that month. Bauer showed Vince pictures and footage of one of the FMW exploding bomb cage matches and Vince loved it. They sent whatever info to Kevin Dunn.....the week of the PPV they get the concept artwork for the gimmick and voila, the Punjabi Prison Match was born.

It was suppose to be Khali and Taker, they were baffled at how Khali would work it. Ended up being the show where a bunch of guys were pulled b/c of health issues and it was Big Show and Taker.

:facepalm:

Intriguing...he also said WWE recently dropped the ball in bringing in someone who was "fresh off TV of a major MMA company" and wanted to come in. He didn't say directly but joked that Johnny Ace fucked it up, but wouldn't say the fighters name because he's still has a job with whomever.

Josh Koscheck? Although depending on the time, it could have been Quinton Jackson since he was a wrestling fan as a kid.

 

[SHOGUN]

Question: Is it more impressive to be a 8-time champion with short reigns or say a 3-time champion with lengthy title reigns?

I ask this because Jay Lethal's whole gimmick is that he wins the X-Division belt, someone new feuds with him and takes the belt a month later, then he spends the next month getting it back. Rinse and repeat.

 

[FedEx227]

Court Bauer was on F4W Daily the other day (he was the MLW Promoter and a former writer in WWE) and told a great story about the origins of the horrible Punjabi Prison match. He said they were looking at some gimmick to make the Bash PPV that month. Bauer showed Vince pictures and footage of one of the FMW exploding bomb cage matches and Vince loved it. They sent whatever info to Kevin Dunn.....the week of the PPV they get the concept artwork for the gimmick and voila, the Punjabi Prison Match was born.

It was suppose to be Khali and Taker, they were baffled at how Khali would work it. Ended up being the show where a bunch of guys were pulled b/c of health issues and it was Big Show and Taker.

:facepalm:

Intriguing...he also said WWE recently dropped the ball in bringing in someone who was "fresh off TV of a major MMA company" and wanted to come in. He didn't say directly but joked that Johnny Ace fucked it up, but wouldn't say the fighters name because he's still has a job with whomever.

Josh Koscheck? Although depending on the time, it could have been Quinton Jackson since he was a wrestling fan as a kid.

I think it was Rampage.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

It was Roy Nelson.

 

[FedEx227]

Oh... nobody would've given a shit about that.

As a pretty minimal MMA fan I can tell you I know very little about Nelson.